newborn baby girl at her newborn photography session.Beautiful newborn baby girl in a bunny bonnet.Posing newborns: chin on hands pose. Most of the difference between a *photographer* and a *newborn photographer* is POSING. Every professional knows their camera settings but newborn photographer knows how to pose and lit your baby to show his/her tiny features, and do it safely. As always, practice makes perfect: you need to hold babies in your hands at least every other day.

Look how tiny the baby is when she is just born.Holding baby in handsTiny newborn baby in mama's hands in black and white.

 

In my photographs, I love the baby to be peaceful and relaxed, and I do my best to show their little fingers/toes/lashes/rolls.  Newborns do not have enough muscle control, and if not completely relaxed -- they look a bit tense, sometimes even cross-eyed. I spend a lot of time during my sessions to perfect the pose. That's why newborn sessions take around 3 hours, and most of it is spent posing rather than photographing.

Perfect bum up pose.Newborn baby in a cute bear bonnet.Cute newborn baby in a bear bonnet sleeping on his tummy.

Newborn Photography Sessions. Preparation and What to Expect

Beautiful portrait of newborn baby-boy captured by Polina Kuklina Photographynewborn baby-boy portraitnewborn in-studio photography

I usually recommend scheduling newborn photo session within the first 10 days after your delivery. At this age babies sleep better, don't have baby acne yet, and are not alert: they do not mind me moving them from pose to pose, and most importantly -- they are still tiny, and yes, you guessed it -- they do grow very fast. Literally :). 

Newborn photography in Westford MA. Photography session for babies in beautiful outfits.newborn baby girl in a basketnewborn baby girl in a basket, head on hands. Rustic style.

 

In a few words, the sleepy and full baby is the key to success.  In order to have the most  successful photo session possible, please read and adhere to the following tips:  

 

The studio is kept at 80-­85°F (27­-30°C) for baby’s comfort while they are nude, and the usual session lasts 2­-3 hours.  Please dress accordingly, ­ be comfortable and avoid overheating.  

Schedule baby's feeding about 30 minutes before arriving so that your baby will fall asleep on your way to the studio. Newborn baby girl in a biege outfitNewborn baby girl in a biege outfitCute newborn baby girl in a bum-up pose sleeping on a bean bag. Newborn photograph by Polina Kuklina in Westford MA.    

Please dress baby in comfortable loose-fitting clothes that either button up or zip to avoid disturbing while dressing/undressing. Loose clothes will also prevent marks on the baby’s skin.  No onesies or socks, please (they leave skin marks as well).  


Please bring the pacifier, it helps a lot during the session, especially between poses.  Even if your baby doesn't usually take it, please bring one anyway!

 

Newborn baby boy in a bunny hatvariation of potato-sack pose
 
I may spend a lot of time getting every little finger and toe positioned perfectly when photographing your little bundle.  Your baby should feel comfortable and peaceful and this will show in the photographs.  It may seem at times like we are moving at a very slow pace, and you may think that we are running out time.  Please feel free to talk with me about your feelings. Keep in mind that babies cooperate better in the stress-­free and relaxed environment. 


Babies cry, poop, pee, spit-up and do lots of other fun things.  I am used to it! I know specific techniques to soothe the baby when he/she is crying.  I will hand the baby over should they be truly upset, and I will trust your parental instincts too!  Do not worry about my blankets or backdrops involved in messy accidents.  This is part of life and is absolutely normal.  All my blankets and props are washed after each session with hypoallergenic and dye­-free  detergents. 

newborn baby-boy in a bunny bonnetnewborn baby-boy in a bunny bonnetNewborn photography. Baby boy in a grey bunny bonnet on a mocha flokati layer. Beautifully wrapped in a grey wrap.
 
I don’t always have an assistant available, so I may need a little help. 
 
The typical session lasts around 3 hours. If siblings and parents are participating it may take a little longer but I always try not to keep families in my newborn studio for longer than 3 hours.

Newborn baby-boybaby boy in a bum-up pose
 
But above all, remember that this is your baby’s first-ever photo shoot. Enjoy 
and have fun! Time does fly and you will be glad that you captured these very first moments :) 

In Studio Newborn portraitNewborn baby girl in a bucket.Baby girl in a Bunny bonnet.

It's never too early to schedule your newborn session! Please reach me at [email protected] or better yet -- call me at 508-265-8269. I would love to chat with you and schedule a free in-studio consultation.

The full cost of the newborn session is comprised of 2 parts: booking fee and package fee. The booking fee covers the studio, Polina's talent and time and is due at booking time. The collection fee covers the actual product you get and is due at the ordering appointment.

Booking Fee is $300 and includes 3-hour newborn session, styling, props and outfits. Siblings and parents are always welcome and there are no additional fees for grandparents! Collections start at $790  and include beautiful archival printed images and digital files.

Newborn photographyNewborn baby girl on a flower bedBeautiful newborn girl posed on a log bed decorated with pink roses.

 

 

Two sisters. newborn and 5 year oldNewborn and the big sisterSiblings are always encouraged to participate in the session with their newest sister or brother!